Love is Patient, Love is Kind
by Suki17
Summary: "I love you for all that you are, all that you have been, and all that you are yet to be." A series of drabbles dedicated to our favorite fan and sword duo. Includes contributions to Sukka Week, 2014
1. Chapter 1

**Sukka Week, 2014**

**Day One: Travel**

The stench of salt water and sand burned the insides of Sokka's nostrils as he inhaled deeply, fighting hard to suppress the overwhelming rush of emotions he was feeling as he gripped the railing of the boat until his knuckles turned white.

He was tired of the smell now; it made him sick to his stomach, as he had been inhaling it for the past 3 and a half weeks on this forsaken ship. As far as he could see, all that was in sight was just the blue, serene ocean which taunted him, reminding him how far away he is from where he needs so badly to be.

His ship was headed towards the Fire Nation; the Fire Nation capitol, to be exact. He was on his way to the Royal Palace, where the Firelord would be waiting to escort him to a remote island where a prestigious healing facility was located. It was a private staff reserved only for the Royal Family's purposes, and Zuko had been kind enough to assemble the best healers and nurses in all the Nation for her, even if it meant taking time away from his political duties. Sokka was grateful, for he if he couldn't be the one taking care of her, he was glad at least a professional could take his place for the time being.

Sokka's grip tightened around the railing, making his hand start to cramp up, but he ignored the pain. His mind couldn't help but remind himself why they were in this situation in the first place. Curse her blasted pride and honor. Spirits know how much trouble it's gotten her into this time.

The way Sokka was notified with the accident was a letter sent from the Royal Family's messenger hawk giving him a brief description of what had happened. It only stated that she was hurt; not how bad it was or how it happened. All he was certain of is who did it.

* * *

_"Our livestock are dying, our fields are bare, and we running out of materials for our weaponry," The emperor complained aloud. "Curse my father in his grave for leaving me this kingdom in such horrid shape after he passed. We aren't fortunate to have a growing population of benders, and we do not have the supplies nor the funding, to nurture our villages independently. What would one say we should do?" _

_"What do you want us to do, sir?" the solider asked his master from the shadows. The only light illuminating the emperor's quarters was a single candle flickering around his tall frame. _

_His master didn't turn around to look at him, but said, "It's simple. If the Firelord refuses our deal, we exterminate him and seize his kingdom. We have every right to the Fire Nation's prosperity and fortune, someone just needs to take it." in a low voice._

_ "But your Majesty, he is friends with the Avatar. That is not how things are done anymore-" _

_"I don't care how things are done now," He snapped at him. "When I assumed the throne, I was educated in the ancient ways; traditional ways. Would you rather live in a world of poverty and despair- you, your wife, and your children- or would you like to live in a utopia where the grass is green and our factories our country riches?" _

_The solider paused, knowing he was beaten. He could not argue that he never wanted a brighter future for his family, but he still felt as though stealing someone else's life work was cruel and inhumane, no matter how beneficial . "How shall we attack?"was all he could manage to murmur. _

_"Arm our soldiers with our finest weapons; the arrows we have just recently developed will do nicely." _

_"But your Majesty!" The solider jumped, shocked at his masters instruction. "T-The arrows! They are poisoned, and-" _

_"And we have yet to find a cure for the poison, I am aware." The emperor finished for him. "I do believe that was the whole point of creating these arrows." For the first time in the conversation, he finally turned around to look at the soldier he was speaking to. "Just do as I say, and no one will get hurt." He smiled to himself. "Well, no one important, anyway." _

* * *

Sokka had come immediately from the South Pole when he received a letter by a messenger hawk. He took a ship out until he reached the mainland, and trespassed through Air Nomad territory for a few days. He hiked up the mountains and through the temples, where he talked some Air Acolytes into sending a boat for him. He was grateful when the ship arrived six days later, and started on his journey to the Fire Nation, where he will yet again, have to board another boat with Firelord Zuko.

It was not an easy escapade, but Sokka couldn't care less about how long or hard his trip would be. All he cared about was getting to Suki before it was too late. From what he could tell, her condition was worsening each passing day. He couldn't waste any time with telling anyone where he was going and why, so he left a brief note for Aang and Katara explaining what happened and that he'd be gone for awhile. He was sure they'd understand.

They always do.

* * *

_Running had seemed to be a new hobby for Zuko; one he wasn't fond of. During their meeting with the emperor of the country Bei Ke Rui, he had started to make his way down a long list of complaints of his kingdom's poor condition, and since the Fire Nation's economy has more than enough wealth to go around, he proposed the idea of Zuko giving them a loan to help them out of their dept. _

_Zuko said he would be happy to help, if the kingdom would provide something in return for a trade; such as goods or a specific product of some sort so his country would be prospering as well. _

_But the emperor's mood suddenly darkened and he put on an offensive front, stating that of course his kingdom had nothing to offer if it was in such bad shape. If they weren't, he wouldn't be asking for his help. _

_At that moment, Zuko apologized, but concluded that he had to pull away from the deal, as he's obligated to do what is best for his country; that it must be his first priority. This angered the emperor to great measures, so much to where he stood up from his chair and threw the table they were seated at over to the side, glaring menacingly at Zuko. He roared that he had just made a horrible mistake, and he would learn to regret it._

_ Suki ordered her two present warriors to attack the emperor's guards as she hurried Zuko out of the room and down the hallway, trying to reach an exit. She lead him to a hall on the third floor of the palace was, and stopped at the railing. Suki eyed the large, marble doors below them and made her decision. She then began unbuckling armor._

_ "What are you doing?" Zuko asked her._

_ "Getting you out of here," She replied briefly, strapping the vest tightly around his torso. "This vest is made of a special padding that is very think and not easy to break through. If you wear it, the arrows won't be able to hurt you." _

_"Suki," Zuko said, still wildly confused. "I don't understand." _

_"Do you want to get out of here alive, or not?" She quickly snapped at him._

_ Zuko debated that thought for a short moment, but hastily decided this would not be a good place to argue with her. "What do you want me to do?" He dejected. His heart dropped when she took hold of a velvet rope that was used for pulling curtains back. She franticly pulled on it, causing it to break from the metal curtain hanger and wrapped it around the railing of the second floor. She tied it in a knot, her nervous hands failing her as she sloppily fastened it around the rails. "Again, _what_ are you doing?" _

_"I want you to swing down this to reach the doors-" _

_"_What_!" _

_"It's the only way to get downstairs without getting caught." _

_"Are you crazy!?" Zuko hissed. _

_"No, I'm resourceful." She replied, a sense of finality in her voice. "When I give you the signal, I want you to swing down this rope and run as quick as you can without hurting the least amount of soldiers as possible. The less damage we cause, the less likely the emperor will declare war on the Fire Nation." _

_"You expect me just to walk out the front door?" _

_"Of course not. I called in reinforcements from the Kyoshi Warriors and your royal guards before the meeting even began. They'll be waiting outside the gates to take you to a ship that'll get you far away from here." _

_Zuko stared at her with a look of awe for a long moment. He couldn't believe how well this whole plan had been thought out. It seems she knew what was going to happen from the very beginning; she went out of her way to take precautions that he was too blind to see. This was by the far the best protection he had ever received, and made a silent vow that he'd have to find as many ways as possible to repay her. "You're brilliant, Suki." Was all he could say. _

_She gave him a small smile and her eyes sparkled. "If I'm not looking out for you, who will? Obviously we can't all be brainiacs." _

* * *

Sokka stumbled back a few feet when the ship jerked forward and he looked down to see that they had finally landed. His heart skipped a beat and he didn't even bother to use the ramp the crew members were currently setting down for him. He hopped over the side of the boat and attempted to land on his feet, but he was so anxious that he fumbled and sloppily rolled onto his side.

He quickly scrambled to get himself back up and made a bee-line towards the healing facility on top of the hill and past a small village. He was out of breath by the time he reached the top, but he ignored the drops of sweat beading down his forehead and the feeling of his lungs burning for oxygen. He hasn't been able to breath for a long time now.

Firelord Zuko had "generously" offered to stay behind with Suki at the facility rather than escort him to the island, which Sokka had a feeling wasn't such a hard decision for his old friend. He was well aware of his girlfriend's growing relationship with the Firelord, and wouldn't be surprised if his friend had developed minuscule feelings for her after his breakup with Mai.

After all, they had been spending a lot of time together after the war ended, and Suki was quite the catch for any man in the whole nation. Sokka tried to convince himself that no matter how far apart they were, they would always find their way back to each other. She had reassured him countless times that he was the only one who held her heart, but there was still one thing Zuko had that he didn't; he was there for her when Sokka couldn't be.

* * *

_Zuko tried to stifle a chuckle and shook his head. She never failed to amuse him. However, their tender moment was interrupted by yells down the hall. Both of their heads flicked in that direction, and they shared a knowing look. Their time was out. _

_All the sudden, something popped into Zuko's train of thought. "Suki," He said. "How will you escape?" _

_"You better get ready," She told him, ignoring his question completely. _

_"I'm not leaving without you," He said sternly, grabbing her attention. _

_Suki took a moment to put her hand on his shoulder and take his hand in hers, looking at him with frantic eyes. "It'll be ok. You just have to trust me." Zuko looked her hard in the eye, giving her a silent message, and she nodded in understanding. She hoped he hadn't just given herself away, but she had a feeling they both already know what she was about to do. _

_"Get ready," She whispered, and Zuko gripped the rope tightly in his hand as he perched himself up on the raining. "Zuko?" He looked back at her. "Tell him." _

_He didn't need a minute to think about what she meant; of course he knew whom she was talking about. Who else could it be? Much to his own disgust, he felt a pang of jealously weigh on his already-heavy heart. He'd have to acknowledge it later. Zuko nodded his head and promised; "I will." _

_He took one last deep breath and braced himself for her signal. "Now!" _

_Zuko launched himself off the railing and screamed as his eyes widened while he held onto the rope for dear life. He begged the spirits that Suki wouldn't let him fall; that the knot she tied was strong enough to hold him. As the ground approached him, and the marble floor of the palace was getting closer and closer, he let go of the rope and landed on his side. Zuko let out a grunt upon the impact, but wasted no time and rose to his feet. He sprinted towards the door as fast as he could, dodging all the attacks he was able to._

_ She was right; with the vest, it made it difficult for any of the arrows shot at them to hurt him at all. Most of them just bounced off his torso, but a few pierced through his long, ebony hair, leaving his tresses scattered all over the floor. He had no other choice but to kick and blast some of the soldiers aside in order to get to the exit safely, much to his chagrin. He made a mental note to apologize to Suki later. _

_Zuko had a feeling of triumph wash over him as he came closer to the door. He just had to take two lengthy jumps, and he'd make it. He made a dive for the exit, and pushed the door open, rolling out and down the steps. He got back up to his feet with a prideful smile on his face and he panted, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He looked back behind him and said, "That was amazing!" He said breathlessly. "_You're_ amazing, Suki." _

_He thought aloud, expecting to see the petite auburn behind him. Only she wasn't there. _

_Zuko heard a cry. His stomach writhed with an unfamiliar pain._

_ He felt as though he might vomit. _

_And suddenly he couldn't breathe. _

_He slowly turned around to look over his shoulder and a yell escaped his own lips. He saw the painted warrior fall to the ground, limp and bleeding from multiple places. Guards surrounded her and prepared to drag her away, as she did not even bother to get up. He knew this was her plan all along; she wasn't expecting to get both of them out; she understood that only one of them would make it. She had made the decision long ago that it wouldn't be her. _

_Deep down, Zuko knew this was her full intention, and yet he still went along with it. How could he? What possessed him to become so selfish and put one of his best friend's life at risk? He shouldn't be surprised to see her lying there, possibly dead, on the ground and swimming in her own blood. But he still felt this shock that one of the best warriors the world has has ever known was now lying motionless and vulnerable. _

_He thought he felt a hand on his shoulder, but Zuko's body had gone completely cold, numb even. He could barely hear the muffled sound of one of his guards from his palace tell him they needed to keep moving. "Your Majesty," He said. "We were given instructions from Warrior Suki to make you leave the premises of this island at all costs. You'll have to come with us." He felt the hand on his shoulder tighten, and then there was another guard holding his other arm. _

_"No," Zuko murmured, still watching Suki's limp body. "No!" He said once again, and this time he started to struggle to get out of the guards' grips. "Suki!" He cried, trying to get to her. "Leave her alone!" He yelled when the emperor's servants grabbed hold of her arms and began to drag her off. "No! Let go of me! They're taking her away!" _

_He tried to blast his guards with fire, but of course they were both Firebenders as well and contained his flames, continuing to take him back towards the gates. All Zuko could hear from then on was the pounding of his own heart in his ears. He suddenly felt dizzy and his eyes became very heavy. _

_The only thing he remembered before he blacked out was the sight of Suki's beaten and bloodied body and the feeling as if someone had just driven a stake through his chest. _

* * *

"How is she?" Was the first question he asked as he stalked down the hallway where he saw the Firelord standing tall. He felt all the muscles in his body tense as he approached him, fear inside of him tying frightful knots in his stomach. When he didn't get an answer, he asked again. "Well?"

"She's...not looking too good, Sokka..." He replied, his voice low.

That's when his head started to spin.

"They captured her-"

"How did you get her back?"

Zuko gave him an annoyed look for interrupting him. "I gave the emperor just what he wanted; money."

"Exactly how much money are we talking about?"

"That's not important. You can't put a price on Suki's life." Zuko replied without hesitation. "She was shot three times. Once in the front and twice in the back. Normally, it would be treatable, but the kingdom of Bei Ke Rui are best known for the work in artillery. They've developed a poison that's we haven't found a cure for yet, and-"

"Can you just skip to the point, oh great and powerful Firelord?"

Zuko's expression immediately darkened. "The arrows were coated in that poison. It's killing her. We can't cure it. Did I dumb in down enough for you to understand, commoner?"

Sokka ignored the insult. "What kind of poison is this, exactly? Maybe if we get Katara down here-"

"We call it Dreame Shaid. It's been causing her to hallucinate the worse her condition gets." Sokka noticed how pained the man before him suddenly looked. "She...told me to tell you..." Zuko took a sharp intake of breath and shook his head, shaking away his temptation of not telling the man in blue before him. But that was the only she had asked of him; of course he would keep his promise. "She told me to tell that she loves you, Sokka."

"I'll let her tell me herself. I need to see her," Sokka replied. Zuko put his arm out to stop him and voiced his protests, but he made a swift move to duck under it and darted down the hall. He didn't head footsteps running after him, but that didn't make him slow his pace one bit. He looked up and down the many corridors and started to wonder just how big this facility really was. How hard could it be to find her?

When Sokka was finally out of breath from running around like a four year old, he leaned against a door to compose himself and breathe. However, he didn't realize that the door was open, and as he leaned on it, he fell into the room it gave access to. He landed on his back with a grunt, and rubbed the back of his, now sore, neck.

"Sokka?"

He froze.

Sokka slowly turns his head to the left, almost afraid of what he might see. And he was right to. There lay Suki, pale and exhausted looking; with the veins in her body all black and popping out of her skin. _The Dreame Shaid_, Sokka thought to himself. Tears came to his eyes as he looked upon her beaten and weak body, her eyes tired and scared. Sokka felt his breath hitch in the back of his throat at the sight.

"...Suki?"

* * *

"How have you been?" Was the first thing she asked him, as if it were any other, ordinary day.

"Um...ok..." He said, still eyeing the black lines that were etched around her face and marred her skin. "How..how are you?"

"I've definitely been better," She told him, but he couldn't tell if she was trying to be ironic or not. Instead of answering her, he only kept starring at her condition, not believing that any type of poison was capable of having the effect of clogging her blood flow and turning her veins black.

"What are you thinking?" She asked him as they sat together, suddenly self-conscious about how he saw her. If you closed your eyes and only heard her voice, you'd think there was absolutely nothing wrong with her. She sounded completely normal.

Sokka took in a shaky breath and look down at her with watery eyes. "I'm thinking about how sorry I am. How sorry I am that this happened to you. And how much I love you. I swear on my life that I'm going to kill whoever the sick bastard is that did this to you," He hissed bitterly.

"Sokka...please don't cry. I hate it when you cry," She cooed, cupping his cheek gently with her small, frail hand. She wiped away the tears that he hadn't even noticed begun to flow down his cheeks.

He put his hand over hers and leaned into her touch, closing his eyes and crying even harder. "I'm also thinking about how much I hate myself for not being there for you. Not just for this, but for everything. I'm sorry I never wrote back to you, Suki. I'm sorry I made you feel like I didn't care about us anymore. I'm sorry that you felt alone because of me. And I'm sorry I never earned any of your love."

He was sobbing now and on his knees, still clutching her hand and keeping is against his cheek. It was soaked with his tears, but of course she didn't mind. It was taking all she had not to cry herself, but she knew that would only make things harder for him. She would've preferred him to not come to visit her at all; she didn't want him to see her like this. This would be how he would remember her, and she hated that more than anything.

"You did earn it," She croaked, her voice betraying her. "You earned every ounce of it. Sokka, I know things haven't been easy for us, but I wouldn't trade anything we have together for the world. I love you so much, and I would ache at night knowing we couldn't be together," She gently intertwined her fingers with his, making him look up at her y his red, puffy eyes. "But we're together now. And that's all that matters to me."

Sokka sniffled and smiled down at her tenderly. The woman that lay before him never ceased to amaze him in everything she did; everything she was. His heart swelled so much at her words, he thought it would burst. No matter how much it made him feel elated to hear her say that, he knew he didn't deserve one word of it. "You're so good to me," He whispered, not even sure she could hear.

"I can't promise you an easy life," He suddenly said, not knowing what had possessed him. "I can't. I never could, and I never will. But I can promise you one thing," Suki took such a sharp intake of breath as he got down on one knee, Sokka thought it was almost dangerous. "I can promise you a world of never-ending love and adoration. I can promise to hold you tight, but not hold you back. I'll stop at nothing until you've reached your utmost happiness in life; I won't sleep at night unless I'm sure you'll be there beside when I wake up the next morning. And so,"

He saw how her eyes followed his other hand as it reached into his pocket and smiled. "Suki, will you fulfill my lifelong dream since I was sixteen, of spending the rest of our lives husband and wife?"

He put a silk choker with a forest green pendant made out of stone into her hand. Suki gasped as she studied the design; the Earth Kingdom symbol with a background of the Water Tribe insignia put together for a beautiful combination. She then felt tears sting her eyes, but she didn't try to hide these ones. "Oh, Sokka..." She said breathlessly, running her thumb over the surface and feeling the indents his knife had made. "It's beautiful." Her expression suddenly turned bitter and she smacked his shoulder, causing him to yelp in surprise.

"You idiot! Why didn't you do this sooner?"

He let out a laugh. "Well I was saving this for a better time, but recent events kinda changed my plans, if you haven't noticed."

For a second he thought his joke might've been too intensive of him, but her echoing laugh reassured him. "You don't know how much I've missed your horrible jokes." She told him.

"Hey! What do you mean horrible? I've been working on my act for three years now, you're lucky your sides aren't splitting yet." She laughed again, and that just went to remind Sokka of how lucky he was to call this girl his. It also made him feel even more awful that he wouldn't be able to call her that for much longer.

After a moment of silence, Suki had stopped laughing and he had stopping speaking. Her face expression slowly turned sorrowful, but not for the reason he might think. "Sokka..." She said.

"What is it?" He asked taking hold of her hand again, tighter this time.

"The emperor's arrows...they're going to be killing people with them, aren't they?" She wondered aloud, although she already knew the answer. "They could wipe out entire populations with this poison, and no one knows what to do about it." She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, then looked back up at him. "Sokka, I need you to promise me something."

"Anything," He said without hesitation. "Just name it, and I won't rest until it's done."

"I need to know that someone will be willing to take care of the people who will be plagued with this burden. I need to know that someone will be working on finding a cure for this poison and save all the people who the Bei Ke Rui will terrorize." Her voiced wavered and Sokka gave her a concerned look, but she wouldn't return his gaze. "I know it's a lot to ask, but I just have to be sure someone will carry this on if I won't be the one to do it-"

"Stop," He said abruptly, causing her to jump. "Stop talking like that." He looked her hard in the eyes and searched them for emption. So many things hid behind her purple orbs, but he could only make out the look of fear and excitement. "I do what you ask, but only if you make a promise to me in return," She anxiously awaited his condition, and silently prayed that it wasn't what she feared it was. "I'll find a cure for the Dreame Shaid, but only if you keep holding on until I do. I swear that I'll do my very best to heal everyone who is poisoned, as long as you'll be the first one I treat."

Seeing the tears trail down her cheeks killed him, and he wanted to cry with her, but he knew he had to remain strong until she agreed. And it looks like his tactic worked. "Ok," She croaked. "I promise." With that, he smiled from ear to ear and kissed her hand. And then her cheek, forehead, eyelids, and finally her lips.

"You know, you still haven't given me an answer yet."

She let out a breathy laugh and kissed him again, this time longer more gentle. "Of course I'll marry you, Sokka. I'd marry you right here and now if we could."

* * *

Sokka felt like he was floating as he left Suki's room, despite the situation they were in. The girl he loved, loved him back. She even said she would marry him, for Agni's sake. What else could matter it him?

Apparently, a lot.

Sokka was met by Zuko in the hallway after he had exited his girlfriend's-no, _fiancé's_- room. "You _proposed_ to her?" He spat.

"You were _eavesdropping_?"

"And on her deathbed? Are you out of your mind!?"

"No, I'm quite in it, actually." He replied calmly. "What's it to you?"

"What's it to _me_?" Zuko couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Suki's _dying_, Sokka, and I don't think you understand that. You can't get her hopes up, she's fragile right now! She doesn't deserve this!"

"You're right. She doesn't deserve this." Sokka snapped, abruptly stopping and spinning around on his heels. "But who's fault is that?"

"Look, I know it should've been me-"

"Yeah, it should've been you. It should've been me; it should've been anyone but her. But it wasn't. And you're the reason this is happening to her."

"And how do you know? You can't even fully comprehend what's going on!" He retorted bitterly. "Did she even tell you _what_ we were _doing_ there? Or exactly what happened?"

"O-Of course she has. What do you think the first thing we talked about was..."

"No, it wasn't. She hasn't even told_ me_ that. She's still too traumatized to talk about it."

"Well can you blame her? Whatever that stuff is, it's killing her, Zuko. Anyone would be traumatized by that. The question is why the hell didn't you stop it."

"What are you talking about?"

"Think about it. Why else would she give you, a master Firebender, her protective vest if she knew both of you wouldn't make it out alive?" Sokka narrowed his eyes into black slits and clenched his jaw. "You knew that was her plan this entire time and you didn't do anything about it."

"There was nothing to be done," Zuko said, superiority dripping from his voice. "You know just as well as I do that once Suki makes up her mind, there's no stopping her."

"_Don't_ talk like that," Sokka warned him. "Don't talk like you know her better than I do. She saved you because it's her _job_, not because she cares about you."

"Who are you to speak on her behalf? You're the one who hasn't contacted her in three years-"

"We both had duties to our villages and she understood that," Sokka quickly defended. "We both decided it would be best to go our separate ways until we could figure out a compromise of where we would live."

"What kind of relationship is that?" Zuko practically spit the words out as if they were too sour to have in his mouth. "You should at least have the decency to write her a letter. Now the last memory she'll have of you is your pathetic whimpers at her deathbed, and you're broken promise to marry her." He hissed. "Then you'll really regret proposing to her."

That's when Sokka snapped. He lunged forward and held him up against the wall by his collar. "You have no idea what we have together. I will never regret a word I said in there for as long as I live. I love her more than I love my own life, and I'm going to spend the rest of it looking for a way to save her. But it would mean a lot to Suki if you'd help me with that." Sokka couldn't believe what he had just said, and almost regretted saying it. "As usual, the choice is yours."

And with that he stormed down the hallway, leaving the Firelord alone to think by himself.

* * *

The next decade went by in a blur. It seemed like only yesterday, Aang was serving as their priest, reciting the lines "By the power invested in me," during their small wedding ceremony in Suki's hospital room, with only their friends there to witness their vows and the tears falling to the floor.

It seemed like only yesterday, Sokka had received the news that Suki was pregnant, but terrified she wouldn't live through the pregnancy.

It seemed like only yesterday, she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, with piercing blue eyes and the spitting image of his father.

It seemed like only yesterday, Suki's condition had taken a turn for the worse, and Sokka truly believed little Hakoda would have to grow up without a mother.

And it seemed like only yesterday, Sokka had been present while Oyaji and the other Kyoshi Warriors dug his wife's grave, and made her memorial in her beloved dojo.

_But_, she didn't need it.

Sokka had finally fulfilled his promise to her and found a cure to the Dreame Shaid, and saved his wife with only a matter of minutes of her life left. It was the greatest miracle Sokka had ever witnessed. And it was all thanks to one person. The person Sokka had so badly wanted to dispose of that day, so long ago;

_Zuko_.

He had worked alongside him, day and night for almost 2 years before finally making the biggest discovery in medical history for that decade. They has overcome their differences hastily, when it came to Suki's life. The Firelord had timidly asked for her forgiveness, but she only laughed and pulled him into a bone crushing embrace.

There was nothing to forgive, she had said. The same want for his apology to Sokka, as well.

And so, three children and many memories later, Sokka stood next to his wife overlooking the ocean on top of a hill on Kyoshi Island, their children running about and squealing in delight. Suki held their youngest in her arms, propping little Yue on her hip; her blue eyes sparkling for her mother. Sokka gave them both a long, dreamy smile, which caught Suki's attention.

"What's with that goofy look on your face?" She asked, her lips twitching upward.

"I just love you," He kissed her softly. "_So_ much."

Suki hummed in response, a pleasant smile playing on her lips. "I love you too. Do you know what today is?"

"Of course," He replied, hugging her closer. "It's been eleven years."

"_Twelve_," She corrected him. Suki then out a snort. " I told you I could hold on until you found a cure."

"Actually, _I_ was the one who said that, remember?" He rolled her eyes at her comment. "But even I have to admit; you lasted pretty long. Even I didn't think you had that much time left...no offense."

"Uh, _some_ taken." She raised her eye brow at him. "What happened to the world full of love and adoration?"

"Well," He said, taking pulling her closer to him, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "I love you, and I adore you, and I never hold you back. Unless you're walking away from me, of course."

She still managed to laugh at even that joke, much to Sokka's delight. "You know why I kept fighting so long, Sokka?" She asked him, and he nodded. Suki took a look at their two kids running around at their feet, at the one in her arms, and then back at her husband.

"I had a lot to live for."

* * *

**Originally, I was going to have Suki die at the end of this story, but I decided against it. I'd rather everyone have happy feelings this Sukka Week instead. I'm actually really proud of this piece. Like, really _really _proud. I've never written anything like this before, and I'm thinking about making this more than just a one-shot in the future.**

**I know it only mentions Traveling a little bit in the story, so sorry about kind going off on a bunny-trail type thing. Oops..**

**You all have been so welcoming on my first Sukka Week, and I can't thank you all enough! Reviews are always encouraged, and make sure to tune in tomorrow!**

**~Suki17**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sukka Week, 2014**

**Day 2: Myth**

"Can you count to six thousand?"

The question caught Sokka totally off guard one night while playing a game of Pai Sho with his favorite girl in the whole world. He gave Suki a puzzled look, and thought maybe this was a tactic she was using to make him lose his focus, but her furrowed eye brows and pursed lips convinced him otherwise.

"What?"

"Six thousand," She repeated without looking up from the table. "Can you count that high?"

He didn't know how to respond. What on earth was she talking about? The question still didn't make any sense to Sokka, but answered her anyway. "Umm...yeah..."

All the sudden her face lit up and she smiled at him, seemingly forgetting that it was her turn. She then began talking wildly about a mountain on the other side of Kyoshi Island, where he had come to visit her for a few weeks, but that's when Sokka started to tune himself out. She started talking so fast and so excitedly that he had close to no idea what she was saying.

All he could make out were the words stairs, old couple, six thousand, and tomorrow. He slowly started putting the words together in an effort to understand just what it was his girlfriend was talking about. According to Suki, there was an old couple who lived on top of the mountain.

However, in order to get up the mountain, there were _stairs._

_Six thousand_ of them.

And they were going _tomorrow._

After he had finally comprehended what she had said, Suki didn't even give him a second to protest. Instead, she immediately hurried him off to bed, stating that he'll need lots of rest to climb the mountain tomorrow morning. Reluctantly, he decided to let his girlfriend do as she pleased, and she followed her instructions by going to bed earlier than he would've preferred_. It's only a little hiking_, He thought to himself as his head hit the pillow of his bed. _How hard could it be?_

..

"Want me to tell you a story while we climb?"

"Oh no. Let my gasps for oxygen just fill your ears and appease you, my cherry blossom."

The sound of her laugh only made him wheeze harder. Suki had woken him up at the break of dawn and dragged him out across the entire island while he was half asleep. And just as he was finally awake, she showed him the "mountain". Yeah, right. He thought to himself. More like a whole other nation built on a hill.

When she told him that they were going to climb the mountain, he expected a hike that only lasted a few hours, and the stairs were just part of her favorite trail, but of course the universe wouldn't make his life that easy. There were actually stairs embedded into the mountainside, and they went all the way to the top. But that was the least of Sokka's problems. The fact that he had to climb them all made him want to pass out.

And the counting-oh, the counting!- drove him insane. Every step she made, she counted aloud of what number of stair that had been.

"I'll take that as a yes." She said, satisfied, still looking to the horizon as she hiked up the steps confidently. "This is the story of a couple named Xu and Liu..."

And yet she still counted.

Every other few minutes or so, she would update him on the latest number of steps they had climbed, and it only made him want to drop dead right then and there. _337,_ she would say, _872_, she would say again. And the cycle repeated the entire day.

She'd only allowed them to take a break twice; once for lunch and

It wasn't until one hundred steps later did Sokka actually began to listen to her story, and he had to admit, it wasn't _horrible._

"...And Liu was only six years old when he stood outside of the church where the wedding was being held. Legend has it, that it's good luck for children who've lost their baby teeth to have a bride-to-be touch the inside of their mouth, and so he went inside and bit the bride's finger," She told him.

_Step Number 983__  
_  
"That beautiful, sixteen year old bride was Xu. She was getting married to the richest man the in whole village. From that day on, Liu vowed that he would marry a girl like that someday. Sadly, Xu's husband died ten years later, leaving her a widow with her four children struggling to survive. They lived off mushrooms from this very mountainside, and Xu made a living by making sandals and selling them in the marketplace."

She'd only allowed them to take a break twice; once for lunch and then again by a riverside. He watched as Suki plopped down into the grass, and he collapsed right next to her. She ran her hand through the water and smiled dreamily and Sokka thought she must have been remembering something. Her eyes didn't leave the babbling brook while she continued to tell her story, and even balanced on a few of the stones while she continued.

"One night, Xu went to get water from a nearby river, with her youngest child riding on her back. Because it was so dark, Xu and her child had slipped and fell into the river. Liu just happened to be walking by when they fell in, and dived in to save them. He saved Xu's life, but unfortunately the child didn't make it, much to her despair."

Suki wobbled when she mistakenly stepped on an unsteady rock, and Sokka jumped to catch her, but she eventually regained her balance and gave him a reassuring look. She hopped back over to the grass and Sokka let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. From then on, they started back up the mountain.

_Step Number 1,743_

Sokka looked behind him again and his eyes lingered over the running water one more time. "That was the river," He said aloud. "The river where they met. Wasn't it?"

Suki didn't answer him, but only nodded in response.

"Liu had always admired Xu from afar, and now this was his chance to get to know her. During this hard time, Liu helped the family out with everything he was able to; he helped them with all the things Xu and her kids had a hard time doing, and he and Xu grew closer. But being in a relationship with a man ten years younger than you was scandalous, and Xu became the victim of many, vicious rumors. It became too much for Xu, that she even asked to never see Liu again. That night, however, Liu snuck into her house and proposed. The next morning, Xu, her children, and Liu were gone from the village without a trace."

_2,682_

Sokka soon found himself being engulfed in the sound of her voice and entranced by her story. It surprised him that he was so interested, and had totally forgotten about his shortness of breath and the burning feeling in his legs. In fact, he would skip up the steps a little faster than usual just so he could hear her better.

_4,021__  
_  
"Xu and Liu escaped to their mountain life in a small, abandoned hut made of straw. They grew their own crops, fished in the river, and built a sturdier home out of clay and mud from the mountain. They did everything by themselves, even went through childbirth without any medical assistance.

"Xu had seven children all together; four of Liu's kids and three from her previous marriage. As their children grew up, and settled down in the outside world, Xu and Liu still remained attached to their private, mountain life. And the only bridge between their secluded kingdom and the world below was a narrow, steep, dangerous path down the side of the mountain.

"Because of this dangerous trail, Liu worried for his wife's safety when traveling back to the village. He began hand-carving a stairway into the mountain side for her to walk down." Sokka looked below him, and at the step his foot was currently resting on. His eyes widened a fraction, and he finally understand the reason for her telling this story to him.

"Over the span of fifty-seven years, thirty-six broken chisels, and six thousand steps later, Liu had finally finished his stairway which we now know as the 'Ladder of Love'."  
_  
__4,999...__  
_  
Sokka's eyebrows furrowed when she didn't continue. Why would she just suddenly stop? She had been telling him this story non-stop their entire day, why would she just suddenly go silent? "Wait, what are you doing?" He asked her as she wandered off the path and into the grass near a tree. She started to take her pack off her shoulders and laid her sleeping bag underneath the tree. "W-we can't stop now! We have exactly one-thousand-and-one steps left, we're almost there!"

"Sokka, we've hiked all day. We have to get some rest, and it's dangerous to climb the stairs at night. You know what happened to Xu and the river."

"Ok, yeah, maybe you're right. But we still have about 20 minutes before the sun sets. We could still-"

"There's only rocks and dirt around the stairway from here on. Let's just sleep here and then we'll get back on the road in the morning. Ok?"

He gave a worried glance towards the steps, and then back at her. Now that he thought about it, he was feeling pretty worn out. Since he wasn't ignoring it anymore, Sokka felt a rush of fatigue wash over him. He let out a sigh in surrender. "Ok...I guess we can rest for a little while..." He dejected. "But you have to promise we'll finish in the morning! Right when the sun rises, bright and early!"

Suki chuckled at his newfound excitement and determination. She thought his impatience, this eagerness he showed, was absolutely adorable. "Deal," She told him, smiling even wider as he laid his sleeping bag down next to hers. She also giggled when he scooted closer to her.

"What?" He asked, pretending to be defensive. "It's cold up here in the mountain air. You can't just let me freeze to death."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it." She replied, snuggling closer to him as he wrapped her tightly in his arms. "Good job today," She mentioned. "I honestly didn't think you had it in you. The climbing is really difficult, amongst other things." Sokka took a moment to ponder what she said. He heard her chuckle again beneath him. "Six thousand's a high number, Sokka."

And he then realized just what it was she meant by that.

He had been counting the steps as well.

..

Now it was Suki's turn to be woken up way too early for her liking. He wasn't kidding when he said they had to get on the move when the sun rose, although he had been packing their things long before then. He woke her up with a gentle kiss, which was nice, until he pulled away and started smacking her with her own pillow.

Suki let out an annoyed grunt and turned to lay on her stomach, but that only gave him the opportunity to sit on her back. "You're abusing your privileges of pillow use," She mumbled, face down into the grass as he kept hitting her.

"Come. On." He said between hits. "We. Have. To. Go."

"What are the magic words?"

"I love you?"

"Actually they were '5 more minutes', but that's close enough." She smiled sheepishly as she sat up, her eyes still heavy. "Are you really ready to go so early? Aren't you even a little bit sore?"

He shook his head vigorously. "Nope. Not me. In fact, I've been awake for hours."

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"...You're cute when you sleep."

Suki let out a laugh as he helped her back onto the stairway. It made her happy to hear him be the one counting this time. It was even a little difficult to keep up with him at times; he rushed hops up the stairs made her smile from ear to ear. "Five thousand and one, five thousand and two, five thousand and three, five thousand and four,"

There was a point in time when Suki was so lost in watching the dedicated boy with striking blue eyes sparkling in the early morning sunlight with admiration, that she wasn't paying attention to where she stepped and slipped from one of the stairs. She let out a short gasp as she fell down a few of the steps and felt a burning sensation down her legs.

Sokka whipped around and immediately hurried down to her, making her sit upright so he could take a look at her wound. It wasn't too deep, but the solid, hard, clay stairs had left her with a heavily-bleeding gash just below her knee. "This could get infected," He told her, glancing back up to the mountain. "We're closer to the top than the bottom. There's bound to be a place to rest up there." And with that, he stepped down a few more stairs and squatted down, his back to her. "Hop up," He said.

"What?" Suki cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"Hop on my back. I'm carrying you the rest of the way."

"But Sokka-"

"We can't risk you getting an infection. Besides, we only have a little bit more to go and you're exhausted." Suki hesitated for another moment, not because she felt guilty for making him carry her up a mountain, but because she wasn't completely sure he was strong enough. "Get on my back or I will push you down this mountain!"

And with that she hurriedly climbed onto his back, holding tightly to his shirt and neck. "If you let me fall, I swear to Kyoshi, I will-"

"I won't drop you." He reassured him. He let out lathered breaths as he kept on climbing the stairway, sweat dripping from his forehead. He worried he wouldn't be able to hang onto her for long, because his hands were sweaty and he felt her starting to slip from his palms. But he promised he wouldn't drop her, and he wouldn't.

Suki didn't know if it was from the hot sun beating down on the two of them or that she was just physically tired, but she soon felt her eyelids become heavy and before she knew what was happening, she was sleeping soundly while this boy, whom she had known for a mere three years, carried her on his back up a mountain.

..

"Suki! Suki, wake up!" She scrunched her nose and shook her head, trying to hold onto the world of slumber we was currently living in. "Hey, wake up! Look what I found!"

"What?" She mumbled, still not opening her eyes.

"There's a house on the top of the hill. If you get up, we can maybe rest there. Now get your lazy behind off of me!" Right then, he let her slide down his back and she landed on her bum with a 'thud'.

Suki glared up at him, and he only shrugged, grinning smugly. "Now what's this about a house on top of the mountain?" She wondered, rubbing her sleepy eyes. But then they snapped right open. "Wait, we made it to the top of the mountain?" He nodded. Suki suddenly scrambled to her feet and started running towards the said house he told her about. "We're here! We're finally here!"

"What are you talking about?" Sokka asked her as he jogged to catch up to her.

"Come on!" She called from ahead, still sprinting towards the house.

Sokka shook his head and picked up his pace. "You know, the things I do for you..."

..

Suki knocked furiously on the door, so much that Sokka thought about stopping her for the poor people who lived there. But before he could, the door opened, and a short, tan, wrinkled man appeared in the doorway. When his laid upon Suki's face, and then to Sokka's, he immediately brightened and pulled her in for a hug. "My bǎobèi! My dear bǎobèi!" Sokka noticed there were tears streaming down the man's voice as he rocked her in his arms. "You have come home." He said, brushing the hair out of her eyes. That's when he noticed Suki was also crying. "Xu! She has returned! Our little warrior has come finally come!" The man called inside the house.

"Did he just say...Xu?" Sokka whispered to Suki, but she ignored his question completely.

"Come, come!" The man motioned for them to come in eagerly. "Come inside, children!"

Sokka had to duck to get through the doorway, but he felt a sense of coziness and warmth when he entered the small hut. Yes, it was meager, but comforting as well. From what he thought must have been the kitchen, a frail, just as wrinkled, graying woman hobbled in with shock on her face, as if she didn't believe what the man said. But when she saw him and Suki standing there, she smiled with watery eyes and embraced her the same way the old man had. "Oh, how much we've missed you! How much we've waited for this day!" Much to his surprise, she also hugged Sokka as well, a little more tightly than he ever would've imagined she would. Whoever these people were, they seemed nice and they somehow knew Suki, so when they invited them inside for a cup of tea, he happily complied.

"How have you been, my dear?" The woman asked Suki, just as they sat down.

"Good. Great, actually. The warriors and I are doing well, and we might be having some new members joining us within a few months." She answered with a sense of pride in her voice. Sokka always loved the way she lit up when she talked about the Kyoshi Warriors.

"And who is this young man you have brought with you?" The man piped up, eyeing Sokka with a smug expression.

"Oh," Suki turned her gaze downward, and there was a tint of pink that painted her cheeks. "This is Sokka. He was friends with the Avatar and helped defeat Fire Lord Ozai." She explained, but Sokka was a little more than disappointed when that's all she mentioned about him.

"It's very nice to meet you," The woman told him, putting her withered hand on his knee. "Liu and I are always happy to meet more of Suki's friends."

Sokka suddenly paused. "Liu...?" He whispered. "And...Xu...?" He looked up au both of them, their eyes sparkling with amusement. "Y-You mean, Liu and Xu...y-you! Ah-you're from, a-and she! You built the...the thing! Up here!" He took a breath and laughed at himself briefly. "I mean, you're the couple from the story. The ones who built the Ladder of Love."

Liu and Xu gave him a smile, and then looked lovingly at each other. Liu took his wife's hand in his and gave it a squeeze, one in which she returned. "Yes," Xu said, not looking away from her husband's gaze. "The story Suki told you was in fact no myth, as many believe it is. Not many have made it up all six thousand steps, so our tale is only thought to be nothing more than a story."

"So you really built all the stairs by hand?" Sokka asked Liu. He nodded. "That's amazing! You've created a monument single handedly!" Liu offered him a humble smile and nodded on acknowledgement.

"I was so worried about him out there, but he insisted that once the stairs were built, it would be easier to go down the mountain even though I barely went to the village at all...except to visit Suki, of course."

"Do you visit Suki often?" Sokka asked her. "I've never seen you in the village before."

"I barely travel down the steps at all these days, especially with these old bones. They make it harder and harder for me to climb up and down the stairs. But I always try to visit my dear _wái sún nû_ whenever I can."

"_Wái sún nû_? What does that mean?"

"Oh, my dear boy, forgive me for speaking in such ancient language. _Wái sún nû_ means grandchild."

"Gran...child?" Sokka's eyes widened. "Y-You mean you're...she's...hers..." He looked to Suki with a confused expression. "They're your grandparents?"

"You did not tell him, _bǎobèi_? " Liu turned to his granddaughter and then back at him. "Suki's mother is our youngest child, Jia Li. She even lived on this mountain with us when her parents were called to serve in the military so many years ago. Sadly, we never heard from Jia or _bǎobèi's _father again. They were said to be missing in action for the past fifteen years."

Sokka glanced in her direction, only to see Suki was looking downwards; suddenly very interested in her shoes. "I had no idea," He said aloud, not looking away from her. "I'm so sorry, Suki."

She tried to offer him a small smile, but the pain of the memory was obvious on her face. Sokka couldn't sworn he saw her eyes well up with tears, and he guessed he wasn't the only one do notice. Xu then stood up and offered her granddaughter her hand, saying "Would you help me prepare some tea, _bǎobèi_? You two must be exhausted from your long journey up here." Suki nodded and took her hand as she was lead into the other room, leaving Sokka and Liu by themselves.

"You've known our darling Suki long, have you?" He asked him.

Sokka nodded. "Ever since the Avatar, my sister, and I came here three winters ago." He answered.

"Ah, so you're _that _fellow!" Liu exclaimed, slapping him hard on the back. "Yes, she has told us much about you. You've been her favorite topic ever since you helped her warriors that day the Fire Nation Prince attacked the village."

"Really? She talks about me?" He didn't know why he was so surprised, but it gave him a warm feeling inside to know that Suki took the time out of her day to tell people about him, and to her grandparents, of all people! That would mean a lot to anyone, but to him, it felt especially significant. No one had ever told their family about him before, as far as he knew.

"Oh, all the time! She must really care about you if she brought you all the way up here."

"Sir?"

"We made Suki promise that when she found her ài qíng, she would bring him up here and tell him our story, and let us meet the young man. This task is a test of some sort, one that me and my beloved Xu concocted many years ago when Suki was just a child. If the man she so chooses can make it up the mountain, listen to her story carefully, and love her unconditionally, we will approve of him. And do you know who she brought up this mountain, my boy?"

"Who?" Sokka squeaked, much to his embarrassment. He suddenly felt an instant of intense anxiety. His heart started to pound furiously in his chest and his palms were clammy, although he didn't know why...

Liu suddenly leaned forward to Sokka, to where he was just level with his ear. "You," He said in a low voice, and pulled away with a sly smile. "She cares about you, Sokka. That much is evident."

"How are you so sure?" He looked away from the man before him, a doubtful expression on his features. "Suki could have any man on this whole island, and I don't even live here. I know we'll be together for a long time, but...I'm just not sure..."

"Sokka," Liu spoke firmly, grabbing the young man's attention attention. "I am sure, because she brought you here. She would not have brought you to meet Xu and I unless she could see a future with you. Never doubt someone's love for you, or else they will learn to doubt theirs for you as well."

"Liu..." Sokka asked in a quiet voice. "What does _ài qíng _mean?"

The old man gave him a knowing smile. "I believe you know, my boy. Anyone could see that Suki holds much affection for you in her heart; you can see it by the way she looks at you. But, the only question is, are you willing to return that affection? Do know in your heart, that you can promise to, not only Xu and I, but to Suki, that you will care for her as much as she cares for you?"

Sokka looked to Suki and Xu as they walked out from the kitchen carrying trays of tea and rice cakes. His heart swelled when he saw her flick her head back and laughed loudly, looking so happy and free. He smiled as he watched her and suddenly the answer was clear, even though it had been all along. All he needed was a little reassurance that she knew it too. "Yeah," He said, still watching her intently.

"Yeah, I will."

**The story of the "Ladd or Love" is in fact a true story. The only thing I altered was that Liu and Xu were Suki's grandparents and their story was actually set in the fifties. Xu, unfortunately passed away in 2013, but a company in Chinese business wants to tear down the master piece in order to make an amusement park of some sort where the Ladder of Love is currently located. It's a horrible, beastly act, and it pains me to hear that Liu and Xu's home they buil together and spent their whole lives struggling to survive (Where they are both now buried today) could just be so carelessly wiped away with the blow of a bulldozer. No matter how hard things may have gotten for them, Liu and Xu always say the beauty of reality from their own little world through the power of their love for each other.**

**Thank you again for reading and I hope you enjoyed my second entry for Sukka Week. Please review!**

**~Suki17**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sukka Week, 2014**

**Day 3: Prank**

Pranks were supposed to be harmless, in Sokka's opinion. They were just little practical Jones designed for a good laugh for him and/or the victim, nothing too cruel or humiliating. He had never gone too far as to deliberately hurt the victim, physically or otherwise. And he himself had never been pranked before...well not really pranked, anyway. Everyone either thought it was childish and ignored him, or he would figure out their plan and save himself before it happened. And people thought _Aang_ was the prankster of the group. Sokka mentally scoffed. Yeah, right. The poor little guy didn't have the stomach to mess with people anymore. So, naturally, it was his job to carry on the title.

It all started one day while they were at the beach. The whole Team Avatar was back together for a brief vacation in the Fire Nation. They chose a beach near the capitol for Suki and Zuko's sake, since this time of year was nearing the National Diplomatic Conference between all four nations. This year, it would be held in the Firelord's Palace, so they both had to stay close to home.

_No_-Sokka thought bitterly- _This is _not_ Suki's home. It was just her temporary residence until its safe enough for Zuko to be without constant security_.

He won't deny that he wasn't really fond of his girlfriend living with his best friend-whom, he must admit, is really good looking- in his royal palace while it was her job to intently watch his every move. He didn't know what exactly "every move" consisted of, but he only hoped there was a limit of appropriate and decent moments.

It also made it harder for him to see her. From the South Pole, it would only take about a week to travel to and from Kyoshi Island, but the Fire Nation? It took double the time, double the traveling, and double the miles. With more miles, it was more time consuming. And the more time it takes to just get there in general, the less time he'll have to spend with Suki. Now _that_ was a problem for him.

Because of this problem, he was obligated to make whatever time they spent together special. And boy, was this visit _special._

Of course he had been the one to start the war because he's just that _stupid_. But in his defense, he didn't actually think she be any _good_ at it either. The attack had been under his command, and he ordered Toph to launch and sun-tanning Suki into the ocean with a small rock pillar for kicks. However, when he instructed the young Earthbender to do so, she took a little too much pleasure in the task and launched her much harder and higher that originally anticipated.

Needless to say, she was not happy to see him and Toph rolling in the sand with laughter when she got back from her half hour swim back to shore. With seaweed littering her hair and her clothes sopping wet, Sokka hightailed it back up to the house before she could catch him.

It was alright, though, because she ended up getting him back with help from his sister and Aang. When Sokka finally deemed her safe enough to approach, he didn't suspect anything when she was strangely sweet and invited him to come relax with her on the sand. Sokka happily took her offer, but when he made to the effort to lay down on his towel, he literally fell through the floor.

Apparently, Aang had created a huge hole with his Earthbending and she put his towel over it to hide the trap they created.

She stood above him, her arms crossed with a smirk on her face. "How's the weather down there?"

Sokka let out a dry laugh and shook his head. "You know what this means, don't you?"

"Oh, I'm sure I do."

He gave her a maniacal smile and answered, "This means war."

* * *

The cycle repeated over the next week. Sokka would prank Suki, and Suki would prank him back. That's how they spent the majority of their time on vacation, and everyone tried their best to stay out of their spat. It only started out with little tricks, but as time went on, the jokes eventually got bigger and more hysterical.

Sokka tampered with Suki's clock so she thought she was three hours late for her morning patrol with Zuko.

Suki sewed Sokka's pajamas to his bed so he couldn't move when he woke up.

Sokka hung all of Suki's clothes in the tress and she had to climb to get back down.

Suki changed the signs on the bathrooms when everyone want out to dinner, so Sokka accidentally walked in on Toph. Obviously, she tried to kill him and almost succeeded if it wasn't for Aang hiding him up in his room.

As the week neared its end, Sokka grew tired of the fighting and wanted to go out with a bang that would crown him the winner of this war. So one early morning, he decided to get up hours before Suki did and planned a stake out until she got up to get dressed in the bathroom. He waited across the hall until she lazily walked into the bathroom with her clothes in one hand, and war face paint in the other. When she closed the door, that's when Sokka sprung into action.

He used his pocket knife to loosen the screws on the locks of the two sliding doors and put them in his pocket. He only laughed when she tried to open the door a few minutes later, and it wouldn't do so. He could tell by her furious pounding and pulling that she was started to panic. He laughed again.

"No," Suki whispered. "Sokka!" She yelled. "You let me out of here right now, do you hear me!?"

"Sorry Suki, but I'm afraid I can't do that. It seems the screws from the door have fallen out. Oh where, oh where could they be?"

"Sokka, I'm not kidding this time. You need do let me out right now."

"Did you hear something, Momo? I think it must've been the wind..."

"Sokka! Knock it off!"

He started do obnoxiously whistled and making loud steps down the hallway so she knew he was leaving. He heard the rattle of the broken door handle again behind him.

"Don't you dare walk away from me! I have an important meeting in ten minutes, do you understand?"

"Yeah right," Sokka snorted, still ambling down the hallway. "Nice try. Not gonna fall for it this time."

"Sokka, I'm not kidding! I need to get out! Right now! Zuko's waiting for me at the-"

"See ya later, Suki!" He called down the hall, ignoring the rest of her excuses and screams.

* * *

He was just innocent victim lounging on his futon when the Firelord had come storming into Sokka's room in the afternoon out of nowhere. "Where is she?" He shouted at him, fire bursting from his clenched fists. "Where are you keeping her?"

He barely made the effort to look up at him, but only to squint and say, "You're blocking the sun," to the fuming Firebender before him.

Zuko grabbed him by his collar and help him up to his level. Sokka's eyes went as big as the moon and he gasped for breath. "Tell me or I'll burn your entire room to the ground." He bellowed, fire dancing in his eyes.

"I...I don't know...w-what you're...talking...about!" Sokka choked out, trying to break free from his grip on his collar.

"Suki," Zuko growled. "Red hair, lots of makeup, about ye big." He used one of his hands that measured Io next to his shoulder. When Sokka still didn't bother to answer, Zuko sighed and shoved him away. "You're such an idiot." He muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

Sokka gasped for breath and rubbed his now sore neck, looking at him with a perplexed expression. "What is your problem?" He breathed out.

"What's my problem?" Zuko scoffed. "Because of you, Suki missed our National Diplomatic Conference. Do you know what that means?"

"You didn't have your groupie following you around for a day?"

"No. That means there wasn't a representative for Kyoshi Island. Suki wasn't just accompanying me today, she was representing her entire island. She was going to negotiate an alliance between the Air Acolytes at the Northern Air Temples and create a trading agreement with Ba Sing Se for supplies to help rebuild the village after the war. But now thanks to you, none of those things were possible because of your childish games!"

"T-That was today?" Sokka stuttered, suddenly feeling his a knot forming in his stomach. "She never told me!"

"Of course she did, you were just too obsessed with this prank war to acknowledge her!" Zuko shouted. "Now where is Suki!?"

Sokka then darted out of the room and made a break for it down the many hallways in their vacation house. He made it to where the bathroom was and pounded I'm the door, yelling, "Suki! Suki, are you still in there?"

"Where else would I be, Sokka?" He heard her say sarcastically from the other side of the door.

"Suki, I'm _so_ sorry. I had no idea your meeting was today and you were working for Kyoshi Island. I promise to never pull another prank as long as I live if you forgive me," He called out to her, praying to the Spirits she wouldn't be angry at him.

A long moment of silence passed before Suki said, "Open the door, Sokka." In a calm, steady voice.

Sokka quickly pulled the latch that was available from the outside and ripped the doors open, scanning the bathroom for his warrior. She sat in the corner up against the wall, her makeup washed off and only in the bottom layer of her uniform. She then stood up and strode over, staring him the eye for a moment before wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. "I forgive you," She told him softly. "Just do it again. Why don't you shower, you've been doing who knows what all day and you're sweating like a hog monkey." Sokka let out a laugh au her comment and agreed, stating that he go down to the beach for a swim first and she should join him for some _quality time._

Suki smirked and said she'd meet him down there in 15 minutes. She had some "business" to take care of with Zuko before she could leave.

And of course Sokka had been dumb enough to fall for it.

* * *

Sokka remained floating in the high-waisted water, clothes and under garments left behind on the sand. He had been wading in the ocean for nearly 15 minutes and his toes were getting wrinkly. The sun was also starting to set...Where was Suki?

His questions were pushed to back of his mind when he saw his girlfriend strolling down the beach, but she was fully clothed. And Zuko was right behind her.

"H-Hey! What's going on, guys?" He shouted from the water.

"We figured since you left Suki stuck in the bathroom all day, that you wouldn't mind being stuck in the ocean for awhile." Zuko replied deviously, bending down to help Suki pick up his bundle of clothes.

"What are you guys doing with my clothes?"

"We also thought you wouldn't be needing these anytime soon either," Suki smirked as her and the Firelord began to amble away.

"Wait, guys!"

She let out a hearty laugh. "See you later, Sokka."

"Wait! Suki! Zuko! Come back with my clothes! Now!"

* * *

**It took me until now to realize that Day Three's prompt was pranks because it was April Fools….Nice going, Suki. But I do have to admit, I'm not as proud of this one as much as I was with the previous two :/ Well, thank you for reading anyway, and make sure to tune in again tomorrow! Reviews are always welcome.**

**~Suki17**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sukka Week, 2014**

**Day 4: Laughter**

He laughed like his mother, Sokka observed.

Little Hakoda sat squealing with giggles on their living room floor, finding the simplest things absolutely hysterical. Sokka found himself with a goofy grin on his face as he watch his son roll around on the ground as he clutched the sides of his stomach. It was just adorable do watch him like this, and it was at that moment Sokka was grateful that his son inherited that trait from his mother.

One his favorite things about Suki has always been her laugh. She didn't laugh like a normal person, oh no, a normal person would just one kind of laugh. _One,_ for everything. Suki didn't snort at a funny joke or howl at someone's story. No, she had different kinds of laughs for everything.

First, the most common laugh, was her contained, small talk laugh. One could hear the laughter bubble up from her voice, but she somehow managed to suppress it into a light chuckle. Something that said "That's cute" or "I'm happy to hear it" so that she would acknowledge what they were saying, but not look like a fool for not laughing too hard.

She also had a nervous laugh when she's telling or is told about an unfortunate event and everyone (including herself) is extremely uncomfortable, she'll let out a little noise that sounds like a "hmph hmph" to lighten the mood. But Spirits know just how much she eases a conversation with that small, almost forced chuckle.

She has a hysterical laugh just like everyone else, when she can't contain her emotions anymore and she starts to giggled, only her giggles turned into laughs, and her laughing turned into a sort of cackling that she couldn't control. She would eventually have tears streaming down her cheeks and there wasn't a person within the mile that didn't hear her. He could tell that at times this specific laugh embarrassed her, but he never failed to let her know about how much he loved it.

One of Sokka's favorites is her silent laugh. It comes after her hysterical laugh, when she's laughing so hard that there isn't enough air in her lungs to produce sound and she looks like she's having a seizure and choking at the same time. That's the one he notices his son displaying the most.

Then there was her inappropriate laugh. This one occurs at times when it is completely unnecessary to deem something funny enough to do something as horrid as laugh about it. He remembers instances where this had happened to both of them; once in a Prince's coronation ceremony, during a sermon at a church service, and even at Aang and Katara's wedding. It would always be at the worst possible times she would have to stifled her giggles and that only made it funnier to the both of them.

No matter what type of laughter it was, Sokka had never once think of it as not contagious. Seeing the expression of her face and the sound of her voice filling his ears, he couldn't help but feel his shoulders shake with chuckles either. The laughter would bubble up from his own throat, and soon be was laughing just as hard as she was, and sometimes even harder. It just gave him an elated feeling to see her face light up with so much joy in her soul, that it made his heart swell at just the memory. There were so many things that he loved about her, but her laugh was always near the top of the list.

However, there was one laugh that Sokka favored above all else. It was her _genuine _laugh, that rang through his ears like a sweet melody being carried in the wind. This laugh, full of adoration and comfort, was reserved especially for him and their son. He'd never heard a more cheerful tune, and he thought he would burst every time Suki kicked her head back and laughed loudly into the air. His son's laugh was just like her mother's, and it made Sokka smile every time he heard him squealing at something around the house, just like he was now.

Sokka heard their front door creek open, and turned around to see his wife coming home from training with the Kyoshi Warriors. "Well, what's so funny?" Suki asked them, a smile playing on her lips as she looked at her son howling with laughter at his father's feet.

When Hakoda didn't answer her, Sokka looked at her and said, "He's been like this all day. Anything that comes out of my mouth, he thinks it's the most hilarious thing since the Ember Island Players."

Suki giggled and got down on the ground next to her son and pulled him into a big bear hug, squeezing him tightly. Both of their laughs identical, Sokka was reminded of just how lucky he was to be blessed with such a beautiful family.

_"May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home. May good and faithful friends be yours wherever you roam."_

**Short, but sweet. I thought this one was really cute, and I hope you guys liked it. Until tomorrow, my friends.**

**~Suki17**


	5. Chapter 5

**Important A/N: Hello everyone. I understand that Sukka week ended nearly 3 weeks ago, but the reason I haven't finished the prompts on time is because I've recently had a relative pass away and it's been a little hard to bounce back into writing. I apologize for taking so long, and I hope everyone is still reading. Thank you and I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

The first thing he saw in the morning was his wife examining herself in the full body mirror in their bedroom. And by the expression on her face, she didn't like what she saw. She was only six months along, but to the both of them, it had felt like an eternity.

He always thought of pregnancy as a bright, happy thing, for there would soon be a little _person_ pitter-pattering across the floors of their home. Everyone in the South Pole rejoiced at the news of one of their members being with a child, they even had a _festival _in the baby's honor, but here and now...it seemed a lot more realistic.

Sokka had never truly seen what exactly the woman of his tribe had to go through during their pregnancy, but now he was experiencing it first hand. It was completely different from what he's imagined it'd be like. There were so many things the doctors just happened to leave out; some things that would be deemed pretty useful.

Everyone knew about the morning sickness, but he didn't expect it to last for _weeks._ Poor Suki was only able to keep down thin pieces of bread and water for well over a month. She never complained, though, and Sokka was astonished by that, but the vomiting was the least of Suki's problems. She didn't have as much composure with other things as she did with this.

In the middle of her first trimester, she had noticed during her training she was having a harder time concentrating. It was getting more and more difficult for her to work or practice with her warriors, and when she asked their local healer, she said it was partially the preoccupation of the baby that caused the forgetfulness and inability to concentrate. So Suki lightened her load, and put her job as an ambassador for Kyoshi Island on hold until the baby was born.

The kicks were probably Sokka's favorite part, even though it wasn't him going through this experience. He'd always ask her what it felt like, and she always answered with the words, "There's not a word incredible enough to describe it." He would gently place his hands on his wife's belly any chance he got. It was his favorite pass time for the next nine months. Sometimes, he would even lay his head down on the top of her stomach and listen to the baby moving inside of her, eventually falling asleep to the sounds and the feeling of her stroking his hair as his eye lids became too heavy.

"I love you," He faintly recalled her whispering, thinking she was talking about him. Sokka would smile softly in his sleep at the comment.

She giggled. "And you," She cooed, placing a kiss on his forehead, letting him know who she was _really _talking to before.

Also, another one of the lighter aspects of the pregnancy, is every woman is said to possess that pregnancy glow, but Suki _shined_. Her skin would light up a room immediately and she looked absolutely gorgeous. The increased blood flow and volume brought more blood to the vessels and increased oil gland secretion, making her skin look so radiant. He never once forgot to tell her how beautiful she looked, even if she didn't believe him. It was moments like these that Sokka wished everything about the pregnancy could be this easy and stress-free.

But of course the universe would never let something go that well for him.

The next obstacle they faced were her migraines. They pained Suki so much, that some days she couldn't even get out of bed. Even the slightest bit of noise would send her into a world of pressure and hindering to her senses. They didn't even bother to call the healer this time, because they knew what she would say. A soon-to-be-mother should reduce as much stress as possible, and the source of stress was most likely coming from her amount of work. And so, Suki made the conflicting decision to take time off from her position on the Village Council until the migraines subsided.

But nothing would prepare either of them for the their next discovery of the _joys_ of pregnancy. (Insert eye roll here)

Then the tight joints started, and it was painful to do just about anything anymore. The weight of the baby made her feel unbalanced and she would have sudden pains piercing through her body at unexpected times. Sokka didn't know about the tight joints until he went to surprise her one day during her training, but it was late and the other warriors had gone home, so she was there practicing by herself. She was going through one of her harder routines, and Sokka stood in the door frame admiring her graceful movements.

But, when Suki raised her fan high up into the air in swift movement, she let out a cry and her fan fell to the ground. Sokka had immediately run to help her as she kneeled down to the ground, grasping her lower back. He helped pick her up and let her lean on him as he half-carried her home.

The healer had paid a visit to their house, this time, and said it would be wise for the mother to limit the amount of movement she will partake in as she gets further and further along in the pregnancy, as it was unhealthy for both her and the baby to be moving and shaking around so much. Sokka heart cracked when he saw the look on Suki's face when she was told it would be best if she didn't train with her warriors again until the baby came. He could see the tears she tried to blink away well up in her eyes and the heartbreak was evident through her expression.

But she still agreed without argument.

After that incident, Sokka had become extremely worried about Suki's well-being. She didn't act like a normal pregnant woman would act, and it scared him. She didn't have odd and hard to find cravings, she didn't have drastic mood swings, and she didn't even complain. In fact, she hardly talked at all. Suki had stayed almost completely silent the last trimester before the baby was born, but when she did speak, it was an even and emotionless-almost melancholy- droning noise that always made Sokka anxious upon hearing it. However, the one thing that scared him more than anything was Suki's lack of reaction to her pregnancy symptoms.

Meaning Suki never cried.

Never, at least not that he knew of. If she ever did cry, it would have had to of been when he wasn't around her, which was very rare these days. Not even when she was told she would have to quit training with her warriors, she didn't cry. Sokka didn't know what to do about the situation; should he inquire her about it or leave it alone? And even if he did bring it up, what would he say? She was in a fragile state right now, even if she wouldn't admit it, and Sokka knew that. He didn't want to do anything to pressure, nor agitate her.

But now he laying in his bed, watching with sad eyes as his wife examined her growing belly with a critical look in the mirror. She let out a slow sigh and turned in the mirror, looking at her reflection from a side view. "It's getting bigger," She said, referencing to her round belly. "And so are these." She pointed to her bare feet with a scrunched up nose.

"Of course they are. You have a person growing inside you."

Suki sighed again and that _frown_ made its way across her face for the billionth time in the past six months. Sokka had also noticed that she didn't smile as often. Barely ever, actually. And when she did, he could tell that it was only for show and to make sure he didn't worry about her. But that's when he worried the most.

Sokka then threw off the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He joined his wife in the mirror and hugged her shoulders, resting his chin on her head. "I love you," He murmured into her hair, which had grown much longer-almost past her shoulders, he had noticed-and Suki gave him that faint, fake smile of hers. "And this little fetus of ours."

"Do _not _call my son or daughter a fetus."

"Opposed to what_, it_?" He asked in disgust. "I bet it's a girl."

"...Do you want a girl?" Suki asked, meekly.

"Yes and no. I don't care what sex of the baby is, I just want one."

"And one you shall have."

Sokka chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. "I think this is the most words I've heard you say at once since forever." He immediately regretted saying those words when he saw her face fall. Sokka felt his heart drop when she pulled away from him and turned her back. She stood silently for a moment, fiddling with her betrothal necklace he had given her years ago before quietly saying, "I know."

"Do you..." Sokka hesitated for a moment and fixed his gaze on their feet. "Do you think we should see the healer?"

She turned to look at him, a confused look on her face. "Why would we do that?"

"Well...its just...been weeks since you've been out and _done_ anything and you barely _ever_ talk to anyone and you don't really smile at all...and you've been totally isolating yourself for over a month..."

"I didn't know I was required to act according to your standards." She snapped in a defensive tone. "Not everything is sunshiny about having another human being inside your body, Sokka. Its like in all the stories you've heard, where the mother wears a beautiful white gown and goes prancing through the meadows without a care in the world-because reality check- you have _no idea_ what it's like for me."

Sokka was astounded at how fast her attitude had changed. These must be the famous mood swings he was informed of by his father to watch out for and avoid at all costs. Now, he actually thinks he liked her better when she didn't talk to him at all. "Suki, all you ever do is clean and mope and spend hours a day decorating the nursery that we've had ready for months now. If the constant organizing isn't enough, your condition is getting worse and worse-"

"There's nothing wrong with me, Sokka. I'm not sick." She retorted quickly.

"Well whatever this is, it could be dangerous for the baby-"

"Do you honestly think I'd ever do something that would risk the life of my own child?" She asked in aspiration, her eyes wild with rage. "I can't believe you're actually questioning me right now."

"Who said anything about questioning you? I'm trying to make sure you and the baby are safe. If we're having a problem with the symptoms-"

"The symptoms aren't the problem here."

Sokka's head shot up and he looked at her with a dumbfounded expression. He let out a dry laugh and shook his head. "I can't believe this. You're actually blaming me for this? For _your_ issues?"

"Things are going to be different from normal for awhile, Sokka, and you knew that. I'm going to be different. Neither of us know what to expect from this, but you can't just assume that something's wrong with me-"

"Suki, there is something wrong. You're _depressed_ and you're experiencing severe cases of _anxiety_. This isn't just dangerous for the baby, but for you too. I don't care what you do to keep busy or how you act towards me, I just need to make sure you're taken care of. This has been going on for weeks and if this becomes long term..." He let out a sigh and rubbed his temples. "I'll never forgive myself for not taking better care of you."

He had expected her to start tearing up and a heartfelt apology, ending in them tightly embracing each other and promising to never act this way again. But the thing about mood swings, is they aren't always as predictable as they may seem...Suki kept her arms crossed as much as she could over her belly, the scowl she wore not leaving her features. "Think what you want, but I'm not going to the healer for something that I can't fix myself. How about you do us both a favor and let me handle my own body the way I deem necessary."

And with that, she waddled out of their bedroom without another word.

* * *

Sokka could hear the faint echo of the shattering of class through the house.

He let out a sigh. _She was at it again._ Suki had been trying to dust and clean the vases and dishes on the high shelf in their kitchen, as well as the picture frames they had hung on the walls of the nursery. She had broken many things in the past, all unimportant things that could easily be replaced, but he's grown used to the sound of things breaking in their house.

And so, because this was such a normal occurrence, he stayed seated and continued his paperwork in the living room. He heard a slight rumbling upstairs, and suspected it was Suki cleaning up the mess, but then he thought he heard a faint voice calling, "Sokka?" from the upper level of their home.

Sokka paused and listened, not sure if his ears were deceiving him or not. But then he heard it again; Suki's voice yelling from the top of the stairs, more urgent this time. "Sokka!" She cried.

With that, Sokka burst from his chair and threw his papers aside, scrambling to make it up the stairs as quickly as he could. His socks made him slide across their wood floors as he ran down to the end of the hall where the nursery was and he had heard Suki's cries. He slammed the door opened and his eyes searched franticly for her, finally resting on her curled up frame in the corner by the windowsill. He dove for her, trying to help her sit up before asking, "Suki, what happened? What's wrong? Are you alright?" in a rush of anxiety and fear.

She nodded her head as she gasped for breath and she looked down to the floor. Sokka slowly followed her gaze, and his heart got caught in his throat. He suddenly felt something wet and smelled something sort of sweet and he looked down to see what appeared to be a clear liquid surrounding Suki's body. "Sokka..." She panted. "My water just broke."

His eyes widened and his heart started to pound, but Sokka still couldn't keep the smile from spreading across his cheeks. It's here, it was finally here! Their baby, their child, was finally coming into the world! But just as quickly as the overwhelming joy had come, it was replaced with feelings of confusion and concern. It...It was too soon, it was much too soon! They still had three months to go, a whole trimester! This wasn't normal! This was dangerous! What were they going to do?

"Sokka!" Suki snapped, pulling him out of his trance. He shook his head and focused his eyes on hit wife's again. "I need you to help me downstairs so we can get to the healer's hut."

Sokka muttered a quick 'of course' and 'no problem' before hoisting one of Suki's arms over his shoulder and allowing her to lean most of her body weight on him as they carefully made their way down the stairs and out their front door. There was no way Suki was going to make it all the way to the healer's hut, but thank the spirits the warrior's dojo was near by and Sokka called them out of their training to help him carry him wife to the village.

A few of Suki's warriors ran ahead to go alert the elders and healer that the baby was coming, while the others stayed back and helped carry her until she had been met half way down the path with a wheelchair pushed by Oyaji.

Sokka was surprised of how much this little escapade looked like a _parade_ with all the Kyoshi Warriors gathering around Suki, complimenting her and telling them how excited they were that the baby was finally here.

He didn't expect the delivery of their baby to turn into some big event that everyone had an invitation to, but he remembered that Suki was one of the most well known residents of Kyoshi Island. She was the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, she was vice president of the village council, and was the official ambassador of the whole population. Of course her first child was going to be a big deal.

But even as they made their way to the village, to be met by the majority of the population congratulating them from the side of the road of from the windows of their houses, Sokka still couldn't shake the thought of their child coming into the world far too soon.

The only time he had ever heard of a birth this premature was from one of the women in his village when he was only 5 years old. He remembered hearing the wails and moans of the woman and he saw his own mother go into her tent to comfort her. Sokka stared as his grandmother came out sullenly, carrying a small bundle in her arms as she continued over the horizon and buried the bundle into the snow.

Sokka didn't realize until now that the baby had died.

He never got the chance to voice his concerns to Suki, because once they made it to the healing hut, he was getting shoved out of the room by one of the healer's assistants. "No men in the healing hut," She said quietly, but firmly.

"Oh, it's alright, I'm the husband." He replied calmly, and proceeded into the room, only to be pushed back out of the doorway again. He gave the assistant a flabbergasted look and glanced back to his wife. "But what about him?" He whined, motioning to Oyaji, who was fluffing Suki's pillows for her. "Why does he get to be in here?"

"He's the girl's adopted father. The father has every right to be present at the grandchild's birth, and he may do as he pleases." The healer answered in a matter of fact tone.

"But I'm her _husband_! I helped _make_ that thing!"

"No men in the healing hut!" The assistant hissed before shoving him out the door with much more force, causing Sokka fall hard against the wall while the door slammed shut.

* * *

Now he knew why he had been shut out of the room. The first time Sokka had ever experienced birth was when Suki was present, and they had just crossed the Serpent's Pass with a few other travelers. The woman had gone into labor, and as soon as Sokka caught sight of what actually _happened_ during childbirth, he passed out on the spot.

That was probably why Suki had requested to keep him out of the room for the majority of the time.

He cringed and covered his ears every time he heard Suki's screams and cries of pain. He clutched the wooden handles of his chair in the hallway so tightly, his fingernails left scratched down the sides and sweat started to gather on his forehead. His heart was pounding; he should be in there with her, no matter how disgusting and gross and...stressful it was. He should still be there.

But before he could get up and demand the doors be opened, Sokka heard a feminine voice call out his name from down the corridor and looked to see the ecstatic face of his sister and the Avatar running towards him. He smiled brightly at them and was engulfed by his sister's home crushing embrace, only to have Aang add on more weight by wrapping his lengthy arms around them both.

"It's so great to see you," Katara told him. "How is she?"

"Fine...I think." Sokka answered, scratching the back of his head nervously.

Katara smiled at him. "This is great. I can't believe that in just a few short hours, I'm going to be an aunt!" She threw hands up into the air and started for the door, Aang following behind her. She only stopped to look over her shoulder to see that her brother wasn't coming with them. "Aren't you coming?" She asked in a soft tone.

"Um..."Sokka's gaze was downcast and she couldn't see much of his face, but the sound of his voice was proof enough that he was feeling any other emotion except excitement and joy. "A-Actually I think I'll just wait out here for awhile, but you guys are welcome to go on ahead. It's just calmer out here and I'm sure it's going to be all hot and stuff in there and Suki will be stressed and in pain and the healer lady doesn't like me and...and...I...I think I'll just stay out here..."

Katara's hand moved away from the door and fell to her side as she starred in awe at her brother. "Sokka," She said as gently as possible. "This is your child being born right now. Are you honestly telling me that you're alright with missing it?"

"Of course I'm not alright with missing it!" Sokka barked at her. "I...I just want to be in there right now, ok? I'll be in there when the baby is almost here...when she really needs me-"

"She needs you _now_, Sokka. A wife needs her husband during labor, it's totally out of the question to just leave her alone in there! Have you even gone into the healer room at all?"

"O-Of course I've gone in..."

"Really?" Katara raised her eye brow at him and put her hand on the door handle. The opened it in a smooth, effortless motion and stared at him expectantly. "Then you'll have absolutely no trouble going in to see your _wife _right now."

"Fine."

Sokka stood up straight and tall, holding his head high with a determined look on his face. He silently reminded himself that he was much older than he was that day at the Serpent's Pass. He wasn't a kid anymore. He could handle his own child being born into the world and he wouldn't wait any longer to be by his wife's side. He strode over to the door and reached for the door handles, prepare to rip them open.

But then,

He paused.

Sokka suddenly remembered the worry of his child being born much too early for it to be considered healthy. The fear overtook him completely and he quickly pulled his hand away from the door and stared at the mere paper and framing that separated him from Suki and there unborn baby, and that's when he realized it.

He couldn't do it.

He just couldn't. He couldn't risk the devastation and the overwhelming pain he would feel if his child was born with some sort of birth defect or disadvantage. Or worse.

Their baby would die.

What would he do then? What would _Suki _do then? She had been so depressed as it is, but if their child were to die...Sokka didn't know if she could take that. He didn't even know if _he_ could take it, and he hadn't been the one to carry inside of him for the past 6 months. Both of them, without a doubt, have grown attached to the unborn child, but Sokka knew there was the slight possibility that Suki was more attached than he was at the moment. He hated to admit it, but there was a special bond between a mother and her child; she had carried them with her for so long, that she could hardly imagine her life without it, and neither could he.

And so, that is why he pulled away from the door and turned around with a guilty expression. "I...can't..." He muttered, barely enough for himself to hear.

"Why not, Sokka? Your wife is in there _alone_ giving birth to _your_ child and all you can do is just sit out here like a toddler while she goes through unspeakable pain. How could you do this to her? I know I wouldn't have ever forgiven Aang if he wasn't there when Bumi was born-"

"Well believe it or not, Katara, but fortunately not everything in the world is not about you." Sokka countered back.

He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as he watched his sister's eyes narrow into dark little slits and her arms unfold, falling to her side with her fists clenched. It was at that moment he knew he had made a mistake with insulting her, but he refused to give in. "No, you're right. This isn't about me."

Well he was not expecting that.

"It's about Suki."

There it was.

Sokka deflated from his sudden feeling of victory as she went on. "She deserves so much better than this. I thought you had so much respect and love for her...and I trusted you to take care of her and the baby. But now I see that I might've been wrong. Do you even care about Suki at all?"

"Of course I care!" Sokka yelled at the top of his lungs until he felt his voice strain. "I care about her more than anyone on this planet! I'm her _husband_, for Agni's Sake! No one has ever loves her more than I do!"

"Than why aren't in there with her right now?" Katara shouted back, stepping closer towards her brother and getting in his face. "Why aren't you helping her get through the hardest thing a woman has to do? Why aren't you watching your own baby being born?"

"Guys," Aang intervened softly. "Maybe we should be just a little quieter..."

"I don't have to explain myself to you!"

"No, but you'll have to explain yourself to your furious wife in about an hour, so looks like I'm the better option!"

"Katara," Aang cooed to his wife, hoping to get her attention, but she completely ignored him. "Sokka," He pleaded, trying to get his brother-in-law's attention, but to no avail.

"How dare you come to my home and insult me on the day my child is being born. Who are you to question the amount of love I have for my wife!" Sokka screamed.

"What else do you expect me to do? You don't want to witness your own flesh and blood being born! What am I supposed to think?"

"You're not supposed to think anything! It's none of your business!"

"Sokka, why won't you just tell me what's going on? Something's obviously wrong, otherwise you wouldn't be acting like this. You just need to tell me-"

"I don't need to tell you anything."

"Well, obviously you do, because-"

"No, I don't."

"Sokka, listen to yourself! What is it that you're trying so hard to hide!"

"It's because I'm afraid, alright?" Katara backed away at her brother's sudden outburst, as he had never raised his voice and towered over her like that in rage before. Sokka took in a shaky breath and leaned against the wall, hiding his face away from her and burying it in his arm. "I'm afraid, Katara. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Katara gazed at him in shock, and she reached her hand out to touch him. "Sokka..."

"No," Aang cried before seizing her hand and taking hold of it. It was the first time Katara had acknowledged him during their argument, and the firm look she saw on his face almost surprised her. "You better choose your words very carefully, because the first thing a newborn baby hears when coming into the world will not be yelling, screaming, and shouting. Aside from his mother's, anyway." With that, he let go of his wife's hand and moved towards she door. "Now while you two play nice just like how normal brothers and sisters should, I'll be inside helping Suki push a person out of her unmentionables. So if you'll excuse me..."

"Wait, so you think _you're_ going to help my wife give birth to my kid in there?" Sokka asked him.

Aang glanced over his shoulder to look at him. "Well if no one else is going to, than I think Suki at least deserves that much." And with that, he left the two siblings alone in the hallway.

* * *

"Do you even want this baby, Sokka?"

Sokka paused for a moment and stared at her. They had been sitting there in complete silence after Aang had left them, so he was totally caught off guard with her sudden curiosity. "W-What?"

"Is the reason you don't want to see the baby being born because you're not sure if you want to be a father?" Her voice was softer now, but Sokka could barely hear anything except for the ringing in his own ears.

"O-of course I want it...I've wanted to be a father my whole life."

"Then are you worried it'll be a daughter when you wanted a son?"

"No. If I had a daughter I'd treat her like a princess, because that's what she is. And if I had a son, he would be proud little warrior."

"Then what is it?"

"I...I don't know," He said, even though he knew in his heart he was lying to her. And looks like she knew it too.

"You were the first one through the doors when Bumi was born. You wanted to be the first to hold him. I remember how you told me you couldn't wait to have one of your very own one day, a baby I mean, and I always knew those words were true. But I just don't understand why you refuse to see your wife, Sokka."

"I-I don't either..."

She put her hand on his shoulder, and Sokka glanced at it nervously as his heart began to race. "What is it _really_, Sokka? You know you can tell me."

And at that moment, he knew her words were true.

"It...it's only been six months, Katara. That's way too early for a baby to be born. It's practically unheard of," He told his sister. "What...what if the baby is born with something wrong with it? Would it be our faults? Would we be able to fix it? How would you help it when we don't even know how to take care of a baby at all?"

He felt his sister put a gentle hand on his knee and he looked up to see her warm smile and glowing blue eyes gleaming with compassion. "Sokka, it's not your job to worry about how the baby will turn out. It's your job to love it no matter what circumstances you're under." She answered comfortingly. "How do you think we reacted when we realized Bumi wasn't a bender? At first, Aang and I were devastated, but now neither of us could imagine our little angel being any different."

"But..." He tried to choke out. It was then that Katara noticed he had began to cry. "What if it dies?"

The next few moments were a blur to Katara. She remembered taking her brother into her arms and allowing him to sob and weep against her. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again when she realized she didn't know what to say. She didn't want to make any false promises to him, but she also didn't want him to miss something so beautiful as seeing his first child being born. So instead Katara said something totally neutral. And she could only hope that they were the right words.

"Well looks like we're both going to have to find out for ourselves, won't we?" She said, smiling down at him. "But let me make one thing clear. You are not, under any circumstances, to mention how...distasteful it might look when we go in there. Pregnancy may be like an on-going battle, but birth is like a war zone."

For the first time that entire day, Katara had heard her brother laugh.

* * *

"I have one question..._why i_n the name of Avatar Kyoshi was _Aang_ coaching me through this instead of _you_?"

Sokka glanced at the younger Avatar when his wife growled at him while clutching his shirt and gulped. Just his luck, he had arrived during the height of the birth. And Katara had been right before, Suki did end up being furious at him for taking so long.

"Not that you didn't do an absolutely phenomenal job," She didn't forget to mention to the man grasping her other hand on the side of her bed. "I really appreciate you, Aang."

Sokka could've sworn he saw a blush rise to the Avatar's cheeks. "Aw, don't mention it, Suki. I was more than happy to help." He smiled brightly at her and she managed to smile back.

"Hey, stop making eyes at my wife," Sokka barked at him. "It's kinda obvious she's taken, being in labor and all."

"How cute, you're jealous." Suki teased her husband, sweat beading down her forehead and soaking her pillowcase.

"Alright, Suki." Katara spoke up, giving the healer a look that asked permission, to which she nodded. "Looks like it's time to really start pushing hard. We're going to try and make this as quick and painless as possible."

"Please don't make promises that you don't intend to keep," Suki groaned.

Katara offered her a small smile nodded. "Ok. On three. One...two...three!"

It seemed like the next 10 minutes went by in slow motion. Sokka couldn't hear anything but his wife's excruciating cries, nor could he feel any other part of his body except for the hand she had so easily crippled, and look on Aang's face. Not only had Suki been crushing his finger bones, but Aang's as well. And because he was holding her good hand, he knew his side must be much worse than what he was getting. The little dance he did when trying to escape her grip was found quite amusing to Sokka.

And it made him smile.

He saw Katara's hopeful and delighted eyes as the baby had come closer and closer to landing in her arms. Sokka knew by the way she bit her lip that she was just as anxious as he was. His sister tried her best to refrain from correcting or rushing the healer, even though she knew many, more effective, methods of handling childbirth. Katara made no attempt to mask her disapproval of the healer's work, for she had no doubt that she'd delivered countless more children in he'd past compared to this doctor. Obviously, childbirth wasn't as common on Kyoshi Island as it was in Republic City hospitals.

But, what Sokka thought to be three broken fingers later, Suki stopped screaming.

Aang stopped whining.

And Katara's eyes started tearing up.

He heard his wife give out an ultimate sigh of relief and her cries were soon replaced with a smaller, less painful, voice. Sokka looked up at Katara with tears welling up in her eyes as he silently prayed to God that their baby was alright. Her eyes met his, and he felt his heart swell. "It's a boy," She whispered hoarsely. Sokka smiled and felt the tears start streaming down his cheeks.

"It's a boy."

* * *

"So do you still want to go with the name we picked out?"

Sokka beamed down at his wife, lovingly stroking her hair, which was still damp with sweat. She looked up at him, exhaustion glazing over her eyes, but still smiled warmly. "Of course. I wouldn't even think about changing it. I love the name Hakoda."

"I'm sure dad will be happy," Sokka proclaimed proudly. "Not only does he have a little warrior he gets to play with, but he's his own living legacy." Suki chuckled at this and he bent down to kiss her softly. "I love you, Suki. _So_ much." He felt her smile against his lips. "And our little Hakoda."

He pulled away and he saw her eye brows furrow slightly. "Sokka, are you alright?" She asked in concern.

"How do you think he's doing?" He wondered aloud, playing with her fingers. "In there, I mean." He nodded his head towards the door, referencing to the other healing office opposite from their side of the hall.

"I'm sure Katara's taking great care of him. I trust her more than anyone with our baby." She said, trying her best to sound reassuring, even though she was secretly terrified of the condition of her child as well.

Suki wasn't stupid, nor was she uneducated. She knew what the possibilities were with giving birth to a child so early. She knew it had been worrying her husband, as well as her, but she knew one of them had to be the positive one. They would deal with the dilemma when the time came, if it came at all. And Suki silently prayed it wouldn't.

Katara, the healer, and the nurses had taken Hakoda to go get cleaned off after Suki and Sokka had shared a moment with their newborn child. But they were taking a fairly long time in there, and both of them happened to take notice. It wasn't until at least an hour later did Katara come in bustling behind the healer with the baby in her arms. The worried look on her face made Suki's stomach drop and her heard started to pound in her ears.

"What?" She asked abruptly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong-" Katara quickly told her.

"Not that we know of, anyway. Not yet." The healer stated firmly, giving her a harsh scowl. "The baby is beautiful and so far, healthy. But he is significantly small and he was having some trouble breathing at first, though I truly believe he'll be alright. We'll need to run a few more tests in the morning, and I want to schedule appointments every 3 days until we're positive he's stable. However, we'll worry about that later."

Katara smiled as she made her way towards Suki's bed and began to hand her Hakoda, all wrapped up in an old blanket. He gurgled and shook his head in his mother's arms. She smiled down at him, but before Katara completely gave him to Suki, she whispered quietly in her ear, "He's going to be fine. Don't worry."

Suki stared at her in awe, but with a grateful gleam in her eyes. She glanced up at her brother and gave a knowing look, which he received and responded with a nod.

"Congratulations, Warrior Suki. And you too, Sokka." The healer smiled at them both before slowly backing away towards the door. "We'll leave you three alone."

Katara gave her brother one more tight embrace and kissed Suki gently on the forehead before walking out of the room, meeting Aang at the door. They both bid the three good night and voiced their love for all of them, finally exiting the healing hut to go stay in there room above the dojo that Oyaji had prepared for them.

Suki immediately turned her gaze toward her husband, questioning written all over his face. "We did it," She whispered, her voice failing to sound any louder.

"Yeah," Sokka replied, lying down next to his wife in her hospital bed and snuggling up to her and their son. "We really did it. Look at him," He said tenderly, tickling his son under the chin and laughed as he (what Sokka thought looked like) sneezed. "He's so beautiful."

Suki hummed in agreement. "He has your nose."

"And your eyes," Sokka added, much to his wife's delight.

Sokka looked down at her in concern when he heard Suki sniffle, and saw more tears flowing down her cheeks. He almost asked what was wrong, but before he could even open his mouth, his wife let out a shaky sigh. "He's ok," She said breathlessly. "He's going to be alright. Hakoda's safe. Our little boy is going to be alright."

Sokka understood why she was crying now. And if he was being honest, he felt tears sting his eyes once again that night, and he didn't try to hide them from his wife. He nodded and hugged her closer, kissing her hair and then resting his head on top of hers. "I know," He whispered softly, taking once more look at their newborn son and smiled for the thousandth time that day.

"He's our little miracle."

* * *

**I've never seen an author who has explained the whole story about pregnancy in depth; all the sides, including the bad and the difficult. There's much more to it than the entertaining mood swings and bizarre food cravings. And so, I decided to explore the darker side of pregnancy and how I thought Suki and Sokka would handle it.**

**About 10% of pregnant women experience depression during their pregnancy. Some symptoms may be things such as a difficult time sleeping, changes in eating habits (a complete lack of appetite or an inability to stop eating), or intense mood swings. If a woman has these symptoms for longer than 2 weeks, she needs to contact her doctor as soon as possible.**

**What's called the "nesting instinct" is the urge to clean, organize, and decorate the home or the house before the baby comes. It was shown that Suki experienced this instinct, although it wasn't really talked about in depth.**

**The increased amount of fluids in a woman's body causes her to go up one of two shoe sizes, which is beyond aggravating. In fact, a woman may even go up another size after birth because of the more fluids throughout the body that are needed to repair itself. Your hair and nails grow faster and thicker too, because of the extra hormones in your body, which I found it enjoyable, but other women might think otherwise.**

**Now, on the subject of Hakoda being born premature. The chances of a baby surviving being born 3 months early really depends on it's strength and how care is provided. There is a 50% survival rate for babies born at 24 weeks. Of course the closer to the due date the better for the child, Hakoda had only just escaped the greater 50% chance of having a disability, which is definitely not impossible. He didn't have a high chance of living at all, so that's why Suki and Sokka refer to him as their 'miracle baby'.**

**Thank you all for reading and being patient with me. I'll try to get "Storm" up as soon as possible. Your prayers and encouraging messages have really been helping me through this rough patch in my life. Its much appreciated, and it means a lot to me.**

**~Suki17**


End file.
